Answer:
Johann van Beethoven recognized early the extraordinary talent of his son and made sure young Ludwig received a solid musical education. As a father and music teacher, Johann was extremely strict, even tyrannical, and made corporal punishment a regular part of Ludwig’s early musical education. When Ludwig began piano lessons, at the age of five, he had to stand on a footstool just to reach the keys. Nonetheless, Ludwig very much enjoyed playing the piano and began very early with his own musical improvisations. In March 1778, at the age of seven, Beethoven performed in public for the first time, billed as a piano-playing “Wunderkind”. This was followed by many smaller performances, including private concerts. A normally shy child, Beethoven found that music boosted his self-confidence. Beethoven’s regular schooling was brief. He did not like to study on command, and his performance in school was, as a result, quite poor.
Johann may have been severe, but he did recognize his son’s great talent and was quick to relinquish Ludwig's musical education to other able teachers, including colleagues at the court such as court organist Gilles van den Eeden, singer Tobias Pfeiffer, and violinists Franz Georg Rovantini and Franz Anton Ries.
“My fatherland, the beautiful locality in which I saw the light of the world, appears before me vividly and just as beautiful as when I left you; I shall count it the happiest experience of my life when I shall again be able to see you, and greet our Father Rhine.” (Beethoven to Franz Gerhard Wegeler in Bonn. Vienna, June 29, 1801)
In 1782, the composer and Kapellmeister Christian Gottlob Neefe succeeded van den Eeden as the court organist in Bonn and would become an important teacher for Beethoven. Beethoven studied piano and music composition under Neefe intermittently. During this time, the young Beethoven would occasionally assist as the court chapel's organist, though still without pay. His first permanent appointment came in 1784, as the court’s second organist. Beethoven also worked as harpsichordist and violist in the court chapel.
Late in 1786, Beethoven traveled to Vienna to study under Mozart and lived there from January through April 1787. He likely met with Mozart during this time, though there is no documentation of these encounters. Mozart reportedly said about Beethoven: “Watch this young man; he will yet make a noise in the world”. One thing is clear: both had completely different views about music in general and the piano in particular.
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